McDonald's to cut Angus burger from US menu

Fast-food chain had first considered the move in March

McDonald's is cutting the Angus burger from U.S. menus due to high beef prices. (Jamie Rector / Getty Images)

McDonald's Corp said on Thursday it is cutting the one-third pound Angus burgers from its restaurants in the United States as beef prices here hit a 10-year high.

The company first announced in March it was considering the removal of its “premium” Angus burgers to make room for other food options.

“While these burgers will no longer be available in our restaurants, they may still play a future role on our menu,” spokeswoman Danya Proud said.

While prices for beef and other commodities have risen as a result of last summer's historic drought, overall food costs have not seen the sharp spike experts predicted.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) wholesale beef market report on Thursday morning showed choice beef carcasses rising 24 cents per hundred pounds per cwt to a record $204.91 per cwt above the previous record of $204.67 hit late on Wednesday.

McDonald's and other chains have worked to offset higher beef costs by promoting chicken, which is less expensive than beef. To that end, McDonald's recently introduced premium chicken wraps.

The world's biggest hamburger chain has been revamping its menu amid tough competition from revived rivals such as Burger King and Wendy's Co . In March, McDonald's announced it was cutting Fruit & Walnut Salad and Chicken Selects from menus at its more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants.

Launched in 2009 with great fanfare, the Angus burger had been through years of testing and was the company's first premium burger since the Big N' Tasty debuted in 2001. Angus currently represents the high end of McDonald's menu,for $4 or more, depending on the toppings.